A Silent War with a Golden Voice.
A Playlist Profile of Marian Anderson.
By Suranga Wickramaratne.
February 13, 2011
The world we live today is more peaceful compared to early Nineteen’s where people’s mind were engrossed with racism. Meantime, Marian Anderson was a Sun to a lonely sky who tried to eliminate the darkness by using her talent. She was a singer, an activist, a contributor and was a role model who fought against the racism in a peaceful manner. She used her voice to talk to the world, to awaken the coldest hearts, to walk through the obstacles. Marian’s voice was a gem to her soul which gave the brightness for her life. She was a very determinative, dedicative, courage and a peaceful character. Throughout her life, the most notable place was the concert she performed at the steps of Lincoln Memorial on the Easter Sunday in 1939. Before she performed the concert in Memorial, she was supposed to do it in the Constitutional Hall, but she was refused to show in as she was being a black lady. But however, she wasn’t disappointed instead she made it in the steps of Memorial before an enormous crowd. It gained her a grand popularity and made opportunities for her to carry on her social work farther. That incident totally uplifted her life. Hence, Marian Anderson is a leader that we can go behind. As her determination, courage and non violence behavior led her for her success, will do the same for us if we do add those qualities to our lives.
Track # 1 : Heal the World
Jackson, Michel. “Heal the World.” Dangerous. Epic Records. 1991.
Marian Anderson had to face a lot of racial issues from her childhood. So she always wanted a peaceful environment to breath. But being Black always let her down. Her audience was limited to a Black population. So she started to stand against to change the attitudes which society hold. She refused to perform in concerts where segregated seat policy was. Before she performed in Lincoln Memorial she said “I had become, whether I like it or not, a symbol, representing my people” (Marian Anderson biography). There she became an activist rather than a singer. The lyrics “Heal the world, make it a better place for you and for me and the entire human race” refers to the thought that Marian wanted to see.
Track # 2 : The Climb
Cyrus, Miley. “The Climb.” Hannah Montana: The Movie. Walt Disney Records. 2004.
Marian started her music life at the age of six by singing in the church choir. As she grown up she used to sing in colleges, and for small groups. But she couldn’t get a chance to get into the Music school after she graduated from her high school due to her color. However, day by day she succeeded and she decided to arrange a concert in New York’s Town Hall. But unfortunately it was poorly attended and therefore not successful. She was little depressed, but still worked on it and shortly after she was able to won a singing contest through the Philadelphia Philharmonic Society and entered the Lewisohn Stadium competition and beat 300 rivals. That brought her the opportunity to sing in New York’s amphitheater. The following lyrics “The struggles I’m facing, The chances I’m taking, Sometimes might knock me down, But no, I’m not breaking.” shows the courage and the spirit she had inside her and the way she welcomed challenges even though she didn’t win all of them. She never gave up, instead walked through the problematic situations with more effort.
Track # 3 : I Can See Clearly Now
Nash, Johnny. “I Can See Clearly Now.” I Can See Clearly Now. Nash, Johnny. 1972.
She was talented and also devoted. Step by step she overcame her difficulties and achieved almost every greatest professional’s attention. She was dedicative, and put her effort in utmost to get succeed, never step back until get into the target. As a result; Arturo Toscanini, a very prestigious conductor, heard her sing and told her, “Yours is a voice such as one hears once in a hundred years” (Marian Anderson biography). That explains well how clear her future was. As it says in these lyrics “I think I can make it now, the pain is gone, All of the bad feelings have disappeared, Here is the rainbow I’ve been praying for, It’s going to be bright.” She had a clear vision on her future. She knew the path she should follow. So she made it by all her effort.
Track # 4 : Never Say Never
Bieber, Justin. “Never Say Never.” Never Say Never. The Messengers. 2011.
In 1939, an incident involving the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) helped focus public attention on racism. This was momentous where it showed the discrimination that African Americans had. Marian wasn’t allowed to perform in the Washington D.C. Constitutional Hall, due to her color even though she was famous. But she never gave up her hope. As a respond for what DAR did, she sang the steps of Lincoln Memorial and her audience exceeded 75,000. The attitudes and thoughts that led her to this success was the confidence she had. As it is in the lyrics, she might have had the endurance. “I will never say never, I will fight till forever, Whenever you knock me down, I will not stay on the ground” also after her performances she might have the satisfaction as these lyrics express “I never thought that I could feel this power, I never thought that I could feel this free, I'm strong enough to climb the highest tower.”
Track # 5 : I Believe I Can
Adams, Yolanda. “I Believe, I Can.” Honey. Honey Soundtrack. 2004.
In one hand Marian was so lucky to deserve a good education on music. She always received awards, scholarships and tours to polish her ability to execute it in the best way. But on the other hand she dedicated herself a lot behalf of the music. As a result she was awarded with the Congressional Medal in Anderson’s honor for her “Untiring and unselfish devotion to the promotion of the arts in this country during a distinguished and impressive career of more than half a century” (Keiler 327). In the lyrics of the song “I Believe I Can” enhanced what her thoughts would probably be at the time. As it says “Your goals are just a thing in your soul, And you know that your moves will let them show, You keep creating pictures in your mind, So just believe they will come true in time, It will be fine, Leave all of your cares and stress behind, Just let it go.”
Track # 6 : You Raise Me Up
Secret Garden. “You Raise Me Up.” Once in a Red Moon. Decca. 2002.
She did many social works especially on music stream. As she was helped with scholarships for her education she did back. One of those was that the found of Marian Anderson Scholarship from the money ($10,000)which she received as a prize for Bok Award ; annually to an outstanding Philadelphia citizen. The children who have been awarded these scholarships would say “You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains.” She always pondered on education as she believed “Education of the coming generation is the spirit of peace and friendship among nations” (Keiler 300). Besides, she entertained and aid troops and bases while World War II and Korean War. She motivate them, encouraged them to keep faith on their lives. That inspiration would help them to be strong and “I am strong, when I am on your shoulders, You raise me up, To more than I can be” would convey what they felt at the moment.
Track # 7 : Stand Against
Final War. “Stand Against.” Glory Unending.
She always stood against for the Segregated Halls, and segregation in the seating. In 1939, one reason for DAR to refuse Marian Anderson’s performance was her insistence to evade segregation seating policy. But in 1942 they invited her to do a concert at Constitutional Hall after eliminating the policy. There she said, “I felt no different than I had in other halls. There was no sense of triumph. I felt that it was a beautiful concert hall, and I was happy to sing in it” (Marian Anderson biography). She never gave up even after they refused her demand, she continued her work and finally got what she wanted. This refers to the lyrics “Look into my eyes and tell me what you see, A flame of burning passion, pride and dignity, A love for my people and a love for my land, A love for my race that will not bend!”
Track # 8 : I Made It
Cash Money Heroes. “I Made It.” To The Sky. Rudolf,Kevin. 2009.
Marian Anderson finally won her life, won the challenges she has to overcome. She knew her goal and how to reach there. So she worked on that. But always not just for herself as well as for the others. When she was on her sixties, she has done more enough behalf of her Negro People. She was satisfied for where she was at that time compared to how she was earlier. As it’s in the song “I Made It” which explains the way she built up her path by saying “I look up to the sky, And now the World is mine, I've known it all my life, I made it, I made it! I used to dream about, the life I'm living now, I know that there's no doubt, I made it, I made it!”
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Works Cited
Lakewood Public Library. Marian Anderson biography. Women in History. Web. 13 Feb. 2011.
Marian Anderson was an African American professional singer who was also an activist, peace maker and a contributor. The most significant incident was her performance at Lincoln Memorial with about 75,000 audience. She was a contralto who was able to admire her audience without any inconvenience. Her dedication, determination led her to her success. The popularity she has helped her to stand against for racial issues in fact, segregation seat policy for Negros. She travelled worldwide serving and entertaining her audience. By everything she tried to get the equality for Black population. As a tribute President Dwight Eisenhower appointed her as a delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
Keiler, Allan. Marian Anderson: A Singer's Journey. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois press, 2002.
Google Book Search. Web. 13 Feb. 2011.
Allan Keiler has overviewed Marian Anderson’s life story in very detailed. She has put off many quotations of Marian and from that she has tried to gain the attention of the reader in to more depth. Also she has expressed what she thinks, what other’s thoughts would be and some of Marian’s close one’s life experiences to her valued audience. Here she reveals more about Marian Anderson’s personal life rather than elsewhere we found. She has always kept the connection unbroken with the topic which uplifts the Marian’s superiority.
Marian Anderson. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. <http://www.notablebiographies.com>
This website gives us the information of Marian Anderson with her super leadership qualities and how they were useful for her and how she overcame her problems using them. She faced lot of racism throughout her life but at last she became a celebrity. She was very determinative, dedicative and contributive. Marian was a silent character even though she was an activist. She never involved in violent activities to achieve what she wanted, instead she used her popularity to reach her audience; the people who had faith on her, to take her massage about equality; especially for Negros. Also the site includes the foremost events that comes if we talk about Marian Anderson likewise, the incident with Washington D.C. Constitutional Hall, Her performances at New York, worldwide tours, compliments and awards she received.
Corbis Corporation. “Marian Anderson.” Photograph. Notablebiographies.com 13 Feb. 2011.
<http://www.notablebiographies.com>
Courtesy University of Pennsylvania and Annenberg Rare Book and Manuscript Library. “Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial.” Photograph. Explorepahistory.com 13 Feb. 2011.
<http://explorepahistory.com>.
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